Communications Eyes on Detroit This Week

This isn’t designed as a client plug (Don and I maintain our promise to keep that to a minimum on this forum).  Really, it’s just a “heads up” and an explanation on why my blogging level is down in the last week or so.

Tanner Friedman is part of the communications team for The National Summit, a first-of-its-kind event that is bringing business, government and academic leaders together for a cross-country, cross-industry conversation about America’s future.  There are lots of “household names” involved, most of whom have never before taken part in a dialogue together.  The event is being held June 15th-17th in Detroit and is convened by the Detroit Economic Club, for which we have handled media relations for several years.  Our involvement in this event goes back to its inception in 2007.  

Here’s a link to some recent coverage, via Google News.

As a learning experience for all involved and who can observe, it will be a true “convergence” (to use a buzzword) of communications platforms. The leaders will be communicating face-to-face (in public and in private).  Traditional media coverage (our role) should be significant, with hundreds of journalists credentialed, planning multi-platform reporting.  Social media will be a factor with attendees, corporate participants and event The National Summit itself (follow @thenatlsummit on Twitter) going online.  Sponsorship helps to fund the event.  And perhaps most importantly, nearly 100 speakers will try to communicate a memorable message that resonates beyond the walls of the event and into their key audiences.

I wish I could promise that I’ll have time to blog from the site.  If I can, I will.  Otherwise, I’ll check back the week of the 22nd with some “takeaways” I hope will be helpful for all communicators and those interested in what we do.  In the meantime, check out the news coverage locally and nationally and let us know what you think about the reporting.